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Dept. Q season 2 gets major production update as The Crown and EastEnders legends join cast

The new season is filming now in Edinburgh.

Matthew Goode in Dept Q holding his jacket

Netflix

Published: Thursday, 25 June 2026 at 9:00 am

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Just over a year after the first season of Dept. Q debuted and became a hit on Netflix, the streamer has now announced that season 2 is officially in production.

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The series, an adaptation of Jussi Adler-Olsen’s novels, is once again filming in Edinburgh, with writer and director Scott Frank returning.

The synopsis for season 2 says: "DCI Carl Morck heads up the maverick Dept. Q from the basement of an Edinburgh police station, charged with cases previously deemed unsolvable. This darkly humorous, propulsive show delivers all the pleasures of a procedural but takes us into the complex mysteries not just of the cases but of the detectives themselves."

Of course, Matthew Goode is back as Morck, while Alexej Manvelov, Leah Byrne and Jamie Sives are also returning as Akram Salim, DC Rose Dickson and DS James Hardy respectively.

Leah Byrne in Dept. Q.

Leah Byrne in Dept. Q. Netflix

Also back are Mark Bonnar (Ludwig) as Stephen Burns, Kate Dickie (Game of Thrones) as Moira Jacobson, Aaron McVeigh as Jasper and Sanjeev Kohli (River City) as Martin Flemming.

Meanwhile, a host of new cast members have been announced, including Aisling Franciosi (Speak No Evil), Greg Wise (The Crown), Nicholas Rowe (Red Eye), Tony Curran (Outlander: Blood of My Blood) and Hamish Clark (Monarch of the Glen).

Alex Ferns (EastEnders), Ross Anderson (A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms), Rebecca Root (Heartstopper) and Isla Johnston (The Queen's Gambit) round out the new cast members.

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Rob Bullock, executive producer for production company Left Bank Pictures, said: "This season, Carl and his band of misfits tackle a terrible crime hidden in the highest echelons of Scottish society. It is a story for our times: rich and powerful people who believe they are above the law.

"Carl, of course, knows otherwise. It’s a joy to be working with master storyteller Scott Frank once again, along with the rest of team dolally. We applaud Netflix’s courage for letting them loose once again."

Meanwhile, Manda Levin, director of scripted series for UK & Ireland, Netflix UK, added: "Season one of Dept. Q made us laugh and cry; it shocked and intrigued us; we fell in love with the characters and with the incredibly vivid and iconic world that Scott Frank and his amazing team conjured up in one of our very favourite cities.

"That it was embraced so wholeheartedly by an audience in Scotland, in the rest of the UK, and across the world, was thrilling. The story of Season 2 is as darkly delicious as you’d expect, and Carl and his glorious gang will have their work cut out pinning down the perpetrators as we launch back in for more!"

Notably not listed in the returning cast members is Kelly Macdonald, who played Dr Rachel Irving, Morck's therapist, in season 1. They were last seen bonding, along with Morck's housemate Martin and his stepson, Jasper.

Dept. Q is available to stream in full on Netflix now. Sign up for Netflix from £5.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.

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Authors

Black and white cut-out portrait headshot of James Hibbs, smiling against a lime green background.

James HibbsDrama Writer

James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.

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